The world was once ours and we shared it equally. The forest was our domain and it stretched between all four corners of the world. We lived in peace and upheld the balance. There was death, but no suffering. It was all part of the circle of life. However, all that changed when the creatures with the Red Flower came to this world. Humans, the Guardians called them. They came in the night and burned down our forests, killed our guardians, raped and pillaged our lands. There was no end to their crusade against us and no reason behind their cruelty. We, the creatures of the forest, was brought close to extinction before our salvation came: The World Tree, the center and the roots of our Forest that once spanned the world, called us all back to it. Within its borders the last Guardian, the Great Horned Owl, placed three barrier spells that would keep the Red Flower out and whomever wielded it. Before he fell into a deep slumber from which there would be no awakening, he placed the new role of Guardianship upon the red-eyed Awoo Race. They would guard this new forest realm behind walls of magic until the end of time.

After three centuries of peace, the first of the three barriers were broken and we received a grim reminder that the Humans would not stop until all Creatures of the Forest lay dead.

You are Lin, a 17 year old Awoo girl that dreams of becoming the Strongest Guardian and assuming the mantle of the Hero that will save the Forest Realm and all those whom live beneath the World Tree!

____

[STATS]>Combat: ++>Social: >Knowledge: ++

[Traits/Perks][Positive] Childish Energy: You have an unusual amount of stamina and don't get tired easily from physical activities.[Positive] You Control It: In a moment of great fear, you persevered without your Guardian Blade. Your mind can now endure more and you may enter fights/battles without your Blade by your side.

One might wonder, 'how do you light up paths and areas in the middle of a thick, dark forest at night without the use of Red Flower?' - The answer: Fireflies.

At the edges of an encircled area that could best be described as a courtyard of grass and leaves, there stood lanterns filled with fireflies illuminating the night. Upon the field, in the midst of the courtyard, stood several fresh guardians. At least 40 of them. 10 stood up front, apart from the rest of them. Outside the courtyard, surrounding it, there was countless on-lookers. Were they here to look upon the faces of the ones who would protect them? The ones who would die? The ones who would become a beacon of hope for them? Who knew anyone's fate for certain?

You found yourself among the ten standing at attention up front, watching in silence as three Veteran Awoo Guardians took their place up on the stage. This is how the system worked: The top ten Guardian graduates were allowed to choose individually where they would like to serve, be it within the second Forest Realm, the Inner Forest Realm close to the World Tree and farthest away from the Humans, or one of the four sub-groups of the Guardians that patrolled the borders and launched attacks on the Humans beyond the barrier. The other 30 or so would be divided into the Guardian roles that fit them the most, but only the top ten had the chance to join the privileged Guardians living close to the World Tree. A fucked up system, but you didn't think Guardians should be close to the World Tree anyhow. The more defense and offense they had up front, the less they needed at the back.

Of course, not all agreed with your views, Awoo and non-Awoo alike. Throwing a glance to your left, you could already spot a few Dwarf Oni's and actual Oni's, several of the Moth people, and a couple of Horned Rabbits. At least a small part of the Creatures of the Forest had come to watch this traditional occasion. It used to draw more attention, but since the first barrier fell and that Forest Realm was lost, more and more had given up on the Guardians.

Next to you stood Heim and further away behind you stood Ming. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the top ten. In a way you hoped she'd land in the same group as you but where you were going, you kinda hoped she didn't as well.

"Are you going to tell me what you're picking or will I have to make a guess when it's my turn to pick?" Heim whispered, trying to mask his words with light coughing. It looked stupid, but cute.

"The Ichigo Guardians." You replied without trying to hide the fact that you were talking with someone while one of the Veteran Guardians spoke.

"Why not the Kenshin Guardians, with Chao?"

"They're not accepting any this year, apparently. I'll join the Ichigo group and operate in the North while he's in the West. I'll surpass him, even he's not there to see it."

One of the Instructors gave you a murderous glare, silencing the both of you.

>Listen attentively to what everyone says.>Don't listen attentively and just wait for when you have to speak up.>Just listen for selective things in your interest, including news from the Northern front and the Western Front.

You're on the eve of becoming an actual Guardian. This wasn't the time to slack off while the Instructors spoke. It wasn't even the Instructors this time around, it was the individual Guardians responsible for the three branches of Guardians; The Blood Guardians, the Realm Guardians, and the Tree Guardians. The Blood Guardians have always existed, but their numbers were few and far between. People always strove to become Tree Guardians, but often found themselves as the Realm Guardians instead, operating in the first and second Forest Realm. However, after the fall of the first Forest Realm, a large portion of the Awoo were after blood. Human blood. Thus, the numbers in the Blood Guardians increased staggeringly over the last 3 years, but the wish to become a Tree Guardian had grown ever so stronger as well as a result.

After the crowd of on-lookers had finally quieted down, the ceremony began. Out of the three Guardians standing atop the wooden platform before the graduates, the one with a clean shaved face stepped forward. He had a serious look to his face and a grim glint in his eyes. You were certain that he had stared death in the face more times than you could count on your fingers and toes. The other two remained in the back. One had thick sideburns of white and the other had bushy and long eyebrows. You didn't recognize any of them though.

"Welcome, graduates." The clean shaved Awoo broke the silence as he addressed the students before him, "On this night you will decide your future within the Guardians. Will you join the Realm Guardians holding the line in the second Forest realm under the leadership of Lei?" He motioned towards the Awoo with the thick sideburns, whom bowed and smiled humbly, "Or will the ones in the top ten graduates join the Tree Guardians, the ones who are the last line of defense for the Creatures of this Forest, for the World Tree, and for our Father; Kafuu, the Great Horned Owl?" With his second hand, he motioned at the Awoo with the bushy and long eyebrows. This one simply raised his head at the notion, as if he expected every single one of the top ten to come with him back to the World Tree and to be honored he'd allow it. Arrogance at its best.

"Or will you join the ones who have decided to take the fight to the Humans and the Red Flower they wield? My name is Rushi and I lead the four groups that operate in the North, the East, the South, and the West outside the barrier, in what used to be the first Forest Realm. I lead the Blood Guardians! We were created to explore the world beyond the barriers, but we've become the collective revenge against the Humans and the justice that everyone craves for. Justice, not only for the Awoo lives lost, but for all the Creatures of the Forest. If you join us, you will die and you will die in the service of our Father, of the World Tree, and all those whom you protect for the hope that one day we won't need barriers protecting us anymore!"

Rushi's speech was met with an uneasy silence before all the graduates started to whisper among themselves.

'I don't want to die!' - 'That's suicide.' - 'Why would you become a Guardian just to throw your life away?' You heard it all. Rushi didn't waver upon the stage.

"If you do not have the courage to join the Blood Guardians, then leave right now. Lei will welcome you in the Realm Guardians or if you are one of the skilled ten, you may join Tao on his way back to the World Tree."

Murmurs exploded within the ranks of the would-be Guardians as the discussed among themselves what to do. This wasn't how it used to be. Now everyone had a choice. One after the other, the young Awoo graduates began to leave the courtyard in shame and fear. They didn't want to die. They wanted to protect their families, yet still remain alive or live easy lives as Tree Guardians, away from the threat of Humanity. You had already made your decision and it was final. Heim remained by your side as well. You only hoped that when you looked behind you, Ming wouldn't be standing there.

She was, but her gaze was fixed on the grass below and she looked paralyzed with fear. It was as if she was forcing herself to stay.

>Go to her, comfort her and ask her to leave for her own sake. She'll understand, right?>Remain steadfast. This is the choice she made. Who are you to question it?>Write-in.

>>268230>Write-in.She was loyal to sensei in the past, so maybe we can recall her of something he said about "knowing one's limits" to help her understand that it is best for her to not join the bloods. As much as she wants to be with us, Heim and Chao, going separate ways now doesnt mean we will never be with each other again.

>>268230>>Remain steadfast. This is the choice she made. Who are you to question it?every one has the right to make a choice and we all have losted loved ones what right do we have to puch her away to arvgne them even if she dies it would have been a good one out there fighting to taek back what was ours not to hide in the big walls only to watch as others die so you can keep living,also op did you watch Attack on tatin? this is pretty much how it went in itAOT

Ming was shaking in her boots, but she looked as determined as ever. You, on the other hand, didn't want her to get hurt or killed just because she wanted to prove something or because she wanted to be around you and Heim and possibly meet Chao later down the road. The risks wasn't worth the rewards, and that really meant something coming from you. So while the stragglers were still leaving, you approached Ming and hugged her tightly. She hugged you back, treating you like a pillar of trust that she could lean on. That didn't help with what you were about to say and do. You didn't break the hug you shared with the Awoo that had come to be your best friend in these 3 years of struggling.

"Do you remember what Sensei told us back when we were just starting on our path to become Guardians?" You spoke up, to which she took a moment to think and then shook her head where it was snuggled into your neck. You, however, remembered it as if happened yesterday even though you hadn't seen Sensei for 3 years. You didn't even know if he was still alive, but at the same time, in your heart you knew he was. Somehow.

"There's more than one way to help and protect others as a Guardian. Sometimes a direct approach isn't as helpful as an indirect one. Sometimes not doing anything is the best approach and sometimes doing everything is the only thing one should do. As a Guardian, you must come to terms with the fact that your method of helping and protecting others won't always be the ideal path to walk upon. A decent traveler knows one good road, but a good traveler knows many decent roads ideal for different weathers and storms." You quoted Sensei down to the very exact words. It just flowed out of you as if you were repeating back what he was telling you right there and then. You broke the hug and looked deep into the eyes of the frightened and innocent Awoo girl before you.

"You shouldn't stay, Ming." You blurted out softly, yet straightforward like ripping off the leaf from the wound. She stared back at you in disbelief. She couldn't look away and her eyes were already tearing up, but she nodded at you all the same, coming to the same conclusion you had. She might have fit in with the Blood Guardians, but had she stayed she would have made everyone worried and no one could have stayed focused beyond the barrier. Not you, not Heim, and once word reached him, definitely not Chao. Despite his tough and uncaring act, he still cared greatly for Ming and he has ever since he carried her unconscious and wounded body away from the Village 3 years ago.

The two of you promised to say good bye in the morning before she too left the courtyard to meet up with Lei and the other future Realm Guardians.

After that ordeal, You took a garner at the others who stayed. There wasn't as many as you had expected and your expectation were low. You caught sight of two male Awoo's you remembered as Jin and Kun, the twin brothers who were gloating that they were going to join the Tree Guardians. Seems like that wasn't going to happen now.

But why pick the Blood Guardians if you didn't get into the Tree Guardians? Wouldn't the Realm Guardians be safer still?, You mused to yourself. Nonetheless, you could just ask them later or really, not ask them at all. Some Awoo didn't want to talk about their reasons for joining one side or the other. You could respect that.

However, there was one Awoo that caught your attention the most: The Bitch from before. You didn't know her name, you were certain you'd find out eventually at this rate. Your right knuckle clenched itself in a contained white fury and when your eyes locked, she didn't greet your tempered fury with taunts; she simply looked away, her gaze traveling back to Rushi who was now the only Awoo left on the stage. The thought of being in the same company as this bitch was infuriating, but if it was to be, you wouldn't be the one blamed for anything that happened if she showed her true colors again.

"So these are the brave Awoo Guardians that will join us?" Rushi's voice pulled everyone's attention to him. It had a certain sad clang to it, but uplifting at the same time. You felt a foreign feeling listening to it. "Very well. Take the night to prepare and find yourselves outside the Northern Light Tree at the edge of the village by first light. Leave anything unessential behind, you won't need them. You won't return here for a very long time, if ever again. Welcome to the Blood Guardians..."

His voice trailed off and the uneasy silence was just about to set in again while the new Blood Guardians stood at attention in front of their new Leader, but he broke it faster this time around: "Dismissed!"

While most of your new brethren left the courtyard to get a good night's sleep, the last sleep of its kind for a long time, the Bitch approached the Twin Brothers and started up a conversation that you weren't too keen on listening in on. Heim reached you and gave way to a tired sigh as his hand crashed onto your shoulder.

"I'm going to get some shut eye. What are you gonna do?"

"I know what I'm not going to do." You glared daggers into the back of the bitch, but she was too busy with the boys to notice.

"I know the two of you got off on the wrong foot, but she is gonna be your fellow Guardian by this time tomorrow. Both she and the twins. You should get to know them so you can trust them with your back." Heim advised you uncharacteristically and took off.

"How about you? Aren't you gonna get to know them as well?" You retorted, to which he simply turned about with a smug smirk, walking backwards away from you.

"I'm not the one who's called 'Raubtier', Lin." And with a chuckle, he turned his back to you once more and left you pondering on what to do.

>Stay up and get to know the Twins and the Bitch.>Go to sleep. You'll need it.>Stay up, but only strive to get to know the Twins. >Write-in.

>>268882>>268891>>268908>>268912>>268994>Stay up and get to know the Twins and the Bitch.All right, but I need you to vote on one more thing.Should you disturb Rushi before approaching your three fellow Awoo and ask him why this year everyone had the choice to decide between Realm Guardian or Blood Guardian?>Yes>No

>>268869>Stay up and get to know the Twins and the Bitch.>Ask Rushi about the free choice this year.

After a few moments of considering your options, you decided to follow Heim's advice. He had his pros and cons, but his advice was usually solid. Usually, but not always. Might as well take this opportunity to get to know your fellow Guardians. No point making more enemies within your company. When you're all past the barrier, you need to have each other's backs or it'll be a bloody mess. However, on your way yonder, another person caught your attention from the edge of your sight; Rushi, the leader of the Blood Guardians. Seeing him march through the courtyard with his head in focus and his shoulders at the ready, probably heading back to his quarters to get some needed sleep or touch up on tomorrow's plans, put the gears in your head to work.

Hm, I need to know something..., and with that thought and desire in mind, you approached your new leader before addressing your new peers.

"Eh, excuse me, Commander Rushi?" You tried to call out to him, and it promptly stopped him in his tracks.

"It's Rushi or 'Leader', Raubtier." That name again. You thought he would be different, but alas, it wouldn't be so.

"Of course. I was wondering why the ceremony changed this year? Why was everyone given a choice between Realm Guardians and the Blood Guardians when the choice has never been given before?" It was a valid question that deserved a valid, and serious answer. Problem was, you weren't sure you'd get one out of him given how he didn't explain it in front of everyone. He eyed you up for a second, whether he was considering telling you or not or if he was wondering why you would stick your nose into such business passed you by.

"There's nothing to it. Since last year, the death toll for Blood Guardians have increased rapidly. It's reached the point where we've decided that it's not right of us to force fresh Guardians past the barrier to an early grave. It has to be their own choice or they'll flee at first sight of danger." And with that, Rushi's eyes lit up with something. You couldn't tell if it was hatred or something else entirely.

"I will not have cowards in my ranks." After that he didn't wait for your reply to leave. He simply dismissed you with a 'Good night, Raubtier'. At least you got a valid answer, albeit not the one you thought he would have for you.

With that question out of the way, it was time to make some 'friends'. Upon approaching the trio, you could finally hear what they were talking about.

"We're from one of the eastern villages in the First Realm. Word reached us before any Humans did." The older-looking twin explained, to which the taller twin nodded quietly. Kun and Jin respectively. The Bitch was about to say something, but then the three of them noticed your arrival and the conversation died down awkwardly.

>Make small talk.>Follow his lead: tell them where you're from.>Stay quiet, wait for the conversation to pick up again, and simply listen until everyone has said their piece. >Write-in.

The silence was awkward, but you already had a way to break it and wedge yourself into the conversation. Kun already saw to that.

"I'm from a village in the south. In the first forest realm." You started off and you could already see how their expressions went from awkward to either curious or grim, "From what I've been told, the South was where the barrier fell and the bulk of the Human forces invaded the realm first."

"So you saw it all first hand?" The Bitch asked, oddly curious with a sympathetic hint to her voice, and not so much of a bitch anymore. Or maybe she was trying to be condescending and failed? You hadn't let your guard down around her just yet.

"I guess so?" A nonchalant reply that got a flurry of questions shot at you from Kun and the Bitch at the same time.

"How many Humans were there?""Did you see anyone die?""Did you get to see the Red Flower up close?""I heard there's a crater down south. How did that happen?""Is it true Ming got her scar from there?""Why doesn't Heim want to talk about it?"

You were bombarded with so many more questions, but those were the ones you caught from the mass. Was this really the time to talk about what happened 3 years ago for the first time? Without anyone else who was there present? You didn't know if this felt right or wrong, so you followed your gut feeling.

>Tell them everything.>Tell them half the story. Leave out personal losses and things that happened to Heim and Ming.>Try to dodge the subject with a question of your own.>Ignore their questions and leave. They obviously wouldn't drop it by this point. >Write-in.

>>269605>Tell them half the story. Leave out personal losses and things that happened to Heim and Ming.Out of respect for Gran-Gran, and our friends we shouldn't tell them everything. If they push further...>Try to dodge the subject with a question of your own.

>>269605>Tell them half the story. Leave out personal losses and things that happened to Heim and Ming.Tell them about the humans armour and what they looked like; the red flower's embrace that we must always resist; the loss of lives that made us join this force; you can also mention Chao, maybe they know something about him.

>>269605>Tell them half the story. Leave out personal losses and things that happened to Heim and Ming.

After some careful deliberation with your gut feeling, it was decided that you'd tell them the story, but leave out things that would just be disrespectful towards not only your Gran-Gran, but also to Heim and Ming who were in their own rights to pick the time and place to tell someone about their experience 3 years ago. So you told them about the things you thought were noteworthy and wasn't too personal. The story wasn't a grand one and you might have missed a thing or two that you had forgotten or forced your mind to forget, but the gist of it was the entire story with the personal parts cut out. You even went so far as to tell them what you could remember about the Humans' armored clothes as you thought they were back then, the Red Flower projectiles that rained down upon the Village, and Chao even got an appearance or two in your little tale. He was there after all.

They were quiet through the entire telling too, with the occasional 'Woah' and awed 'Really?' - You didn't forget to cut out the part where a piece of the Red Flower infected you. It wasn't quite time to reveal that much yet, even to your future companions. The ending where you made it through the barrier and fell into tears left them speechless for a couple of moments before Jin raised his hand to get the permission to ask something. Kun snorted a laugh at him while the Bitch looked away, hiding a small smile. You nodded at him with a smile of your own.

"So how did you get those tattoos?" His question was straightforward and it earned him a fast elbow in the side from his brother and a serious look from him coupled with a shaking head as well. The Bitch seemed interested in an answer and albeit Kun wanted to deny it, so was he too.

>>269865Bed soon. Sucks that I cant participate but I enjoy reading after.Also the weather here in chocolate land sucks, bloody rain wont stop. I hope I can atleast get drunk tomorrow watching the euro.

>>269865Not too bad, a personal fav quest came back, and after a week abscence another one I thoroughly enjoy is back. Hoping this is a good questing weekend, and it's looking like it probably will be.

"I'll tell you another time, if you can get me drunk enough." You joked, trying your best to dodge that line of questioning. You had already decided to not tell anyone about that issue just yet and you held onto that belief firmly. Kun put on an understanding face while the Bitch just shrugged it off. Jun seemed more disappointed than anything, but he would drop the issue sooner or later. In a moment like this, when it was up to anyone to continue the conversation or call it quits for the night, you took your opportunity to strike at the heart of another question.

"So why did you decide to stay and join the Blood Guardians?" You hadn't meant to ask it before since it might come off as rude, but it was more than a stone throw away from the kind of personal and grim questions they bombarded you with before. They understood that just as much as you did. Maybe that's why they didn't refuse to comply with an answer?

"We initially wanted to be Tree Guardians and live close by our parents who got lucky and moved behind the third barrier after the fall of the first one, but since that was a long shot that failed..." Kun trailed off slightly, letting his brother pick up the end of his sentence: "We decided together that as Realm Guardians we would just be waiting for another massacre, but as Blood Guardians we could make a difference."

"Even if it cost you your lives?" You added, and Kun chuckled nervously.

"We're not going to die as long as we have the infamous Raubtier by our side." His comment was received with a cold glare from you which promptly shut him up.

"How about you?" The question was directed to the Bitch since you wanted to leave the whole 'Raubtier' business behind as fast as possible. She just shrugged and avoided your gaze. Obviously this one had a deeper reason of some sort that she didn't want to entrust to any Awoo who were yet just strangers to her. You could respect that, given the secrets you held close to your heart as well. Eventually she might open up enough to tell you about it and maybe you'll tell her about your secrets, but it felt like a distant future that wasn't set in stone. Kun and Jin didn't make any fuss about it either.

In the end, the Bitch said her farewell and went off to get at least a few hours of sleep. The Twin brothers remained with you in the courtyard, debating on whether or not to stay up the rest of the night. It all came down to your decision, because they weren't too keen on spending the night awake with just the two of them.

>Stay up with them until close to first light. [Deeper bond/friendship, but exhausted/slightly unfocused the next day]>Go to bed and get some shut eye with what hours you have left. [Energized and focused in the morning and all through the next day]

>>270004>Go to bed and get some shut eye with what hours you have left. [Energized and focused in the morning and all through the next day]Want to know the twins more, but its probably better to keep our energy up.

>>270004>Go to bed and get some shut eye with what hours you have left. [Energized and focused in the morning and all through the next day]Didn't even catch the Bitch's name. We obviously need more charisma in the future.

>>270004>Go to bed and get some shut eye with what hours you have left.

Sleep sounded like music to your ears and it didn't take much convincing to make it sound like a lullaby to the Twins either. You walked together in silence on the way to your personal quarters before you said your good nights and split up. It had been a very notable week, but the main events were the last trial yesterday and the ceremony tonight. Things were finally moving forward and you were closing in on your dream, but you knew in your heart that you still had a long way to go if you wanted to become the strongest Guardian. At least you had the latter condition covered for now. You only had to get yourself out of your clothes and bandages and get under your leaf-made cover to fall asleep soundly.

____

When you opened your eyes again, you were half expecting to see the first light and discover that you had slept in for too long, but the sight that met you were far from reality: You were flying, or more like floating mid-air in the midst of a dark mass. Everything around you were clouded in a black mass of shadows that reminded you about the black air that you later discovered to be smoke, but this air didn't try to invade your lungs. Aside from blocking your sight, It seemed harmless.

Suddenly something lit up in front of you. A small and contained, but fierce, Red Flower sparked to life before you. This time around there was no boy nor any eyes watching you. There was only you and the Red Flower burning brightly.

"What is this place? Who are you?" It probed, its flames dancing as it spoke.

>>270224>What and who are you?>How are you talking?>Do you know what you are?

You were as dumbfounded as it was. There was a Red Flower in front of you, asking you where it was and who you are. Was this a dream? It wasn't a dream you've had before, that's for sure. Even if it was a lucid dream, you didn't really feel like waking up. Unbeknownst to you, something kept you from awakening. A sudden urge to ask questions and receive answers you could only have dreamed to get hit you. An ironic thought in and of itself given where you possibly were. And even if you did get answers, who's to say it wasn't just answers fabricated by your subconsciousness and not by the actual Red Flower inhabiting your body, if it was still even there?

"Who are you?" A question left your lips absent your notice and control. The Red Flower danced before you, swimming in the black mass separating you both and the stonewall of silence between you.

"I... not know. Who am I? What... my... my p-- pur-- purpose?", It stammered and jumped around words as it flickered with what life it had fueling its flame. Ignoring its question for now, you pressed onward with a new one at hand.

"How are you talking?"

"The Heart called for me. The pulse told me... told me... I do not remember. Too hard... remember."

"Then do you at least know what you are?" You were desperate for an answer that might not come, but you had to get something from this rare encounter with what could very well be the Red Flower rooted within you. The very same one you missed or never saw in your Spiritual Trial, or was this the same Red Flower as the one that engulfed the human boy you watched burn to his death?

"I... not know. What am I? Tell me? What... my... my pur-- purpose?"

Apparently it had little answers for you, but this also presented an opportunity for you to influence its knowledge and maybe even change its purpose within your body and your mind. Should you make an attempt, despite what the consequences might be if you fail? Does the reward outweigh the risks?

>Yes. Convince the Red Flower it lives to serve you as its host.>No. Tell the Red Flower that it has to find its own purpose.>Yes. Convince the Red Flower it's in its best interest to enter a mutual beneficial relationship with you; like a symbiosis. >No. Tell the Red Flower what you know of its existence and its connection to Humans.>Ignore its questions and try to wake up.>Ask it anything else (such as?)

>>270407>>Yes. Convince the Red Flower it's in its best interest to enter a mutual beneficial relationship with you; like a symbiosis.make a deal with it it will make us stonger etc help us and we willl give it a place to live

>>270407>Yes. Convince the Red Flower it's in its best interest to enter a mutual beneficial relationship with you; like a symbiosis.

"What's your purpose? It is to keep us healthy, strong, and help us endure whatever happens to us. In return, you're allowed to use my body as your home and continue living. There's no longer a you or an I: It's a We. We are one and we share this body and protect it together. We are a symbiosis. We feed off of each other and thrive on that fact positively. Do you understand your purpose?" It was a convenient lie, but it was the best thing you could think of and in the long run, it might just help you more than you realize. Still, you couldn't remove the feeling that this was all just a dream and you were drumming up hopes for something that wasn't happening. The Red Flower burned brightly, sparking to life for a second, only to fall dimly back to its weak state.

"I under... understand. Sy-- Sym-- Symbiosis. We are one.", It finally replied just as your body and eyelids began to grow heavy, signalling the end of this lucid dream or whatever it was. The last thing you saw was the Red Flower's reach slowly, but steadily, expanding within the Black mass.

____

Upon waking up, you felt extremely refreshed, as if you had been reborn anew. It was a strange feeling even when you counted on your otherwise high stamina. Rising from your bed and taking a trip around your small room, it felt like every bone, limb, and muscle in your body was in sync with something. However, the one thing that struck you the most was your skin. It wasn't brown anymore. You thought you were just tired, but upon reaching the thick roots that grew out from the tree you lived within and formed a sink where water gathered each day, you looked upon your face in the reflection.

Your skin had turned ashen white, your hair was grey, and your eyes remained the same; red, with pupils akin to a snake. Alas, the Tattoos remained untouched though. With your mouth hung agape, you scanned the room to find your Guardian Blade and it had transformed over night as well. It looked like the weapon Ming possessed. It was rare for a Guardian Blade to reforge itself during the attunement phase, but it wasn't unheard of. However, that a Guardian Blade had reforged itself after its user became a Guardian had never happened before, or at least not in these past three centuries.

By the Tree...

Was this all thanks to the Red Flower and the Symbiosis you entered with it? It wasn't all a lucid dream after all?

"At least tell me you're still there?" You asked aloud, pulling the blade from its sheath.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, cunt." As foul-mouthed as ever, but at least your Guardian Blade retained its own self, despite the reforge.

>>270714>Ming's weapon is...what, again?A Katana. It's light enough to wield with one hand, but the length of its hilt and blade, and the attack patterns Lin has grown used to, favors a two-handed approach.

>>272334You did have kind of a white-brownish fur before, but now it's light grey. You weren't far off. Though I usually find myself talking out my own ass when I try to explain how I envisioned colors on characters.

Chao glanced back at his companions sitting in the trees with him and nodded at them. The hairiest of the bunch then gave them all two signs with his left hand while the other held onto the thick tree branch underneath. They started to spread out to different trees encircling and overlooking the area. Chao resumed his watch of the Human encampment below. There was at least 30 to 35 Humans down there and only five Awoo in the tree-lines, including Chao. Some humans wore clothes, while others were armed to the teeth and clad in steel. He spotted both women and men walking about, getting ready for something. No children skulking about or any of those female humans with barely any clothes. This was a forward military camp through and through, no doubt about it. It probably only held a small fraction of troops in comparison to whatever Legion they belonged to. A vanguard of sorts?

"Are we starting?" Chao whispered excitingly, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade one by one, already picking targets. He was going to crash down upon the two closest Humans, killing both at the same time, and then leap to the nearest human before using a tree trunk nearby to launch himself into a score of four humans who were heartily laughing and talking loudly in the middle of the camp. With a circle-slash, he would cut their throats within a second.

By the tree, I can't wait! Give the order!

"Stick to the plan, greenhorn." The whisper came from the hairiest one who stayed in the tree just behind the one Chao was sitting in. The young Awoo was getting impatient and frustrated while his halfway unsheathed Guardian Blade edged him on and his Captain told him to wait. The news of Lin's graduation had set his soul aflame once more and he couldn't wait to show her how much he had surpassed her. That Heim graduated wasn't much of a surprise to his ears and the fact that Ming made it through warmed his heart in a soothing, yet uncomfortable way.

You might ask, what's the plan? - It was really simple: Wait for the messenger from the main encampment to get to this camp, deliver his message and once he and his heavily guarded escort leaves, this Kenshin group of Blood Guardians would swoop in, cause some bloodshed and chaos and in the midst of it all, steal the message. If they wanted to eradicate the entire camp, they would have brought another group of five. That was the Blood Guardian way: Strike hard, but fast. Then why not ambush the messenger on his way here? The Captain had shot down Chao's question with a vague answer, stating that the forward camp was where this was going to happen.

Suddenly a new company of men entered the scene from the forest in the periphery of his vision. One of them wore the usual garbs of a messenger while the rest of them were clad in boiled, black leather. They wouldn't have looked unique had it not been for the single, same mask they had strapped onto each of their shoulders. Chao had never seen any Humans of the sort before. They caught his full interest.

"They're certainly stronger than you." His Guardian Blade mocked him and he cracked his knuckles in response, giving way to a taunting smile.

"Stay put, greenhorn. Don't make me repeat me-self." His captain ordered him quietly, as if he could feel the bloodthirsty aura emanating of off the young Awoo.

Just when the overwhelming urge to jump straight into a fight with these new kinds of humans reached a climax, Chao was restrained by a firm hand on his shoulder. The hairy captain was giving him a strict look and shook his head gravely. There was no point starting a fight, especially one where they were heavily outnumbered and they had no idea what these new humans could do. At least that's what Chao told himself when he sheathed his Guardian Blade again, silencing its taunting cries. However, after the messenger had delivered the letter to what looked like the leader of this forward camp, the Humans with the masks strapped onto their shoulders remained while a small batch of regular troops escorted the messenger out from the camp and into the thick scores of the forest.

"Aren't they supposed to leave?" Chao threw a glance back at his Captain and the Awoo narrowed his eyes and brought a small silver formed object to his lips.

"Plans be changed, greenhorn." And he blew the silver whistle that emitted a high pitched sound that only the Awoo, and possibly also the Horned Rabbits,could hear. Immediately the Captain threw himself ahead of Chao and all around the encampment, the three other Awoo Guardians left their trees and launched themselves into the center of attention, weapons drawn. Chao gave way to a quick smirk and followed suit with his blade drawn. He was going to follow the pattern he had thought up: He crashed down onto one human, snapping the man's neck with his foot and then cut a nasty fatal wound into the chest of the other Human standing nearby. Following that, he leaped to the third Human and his Guardian Blade embedded itself into the woman's throat. Warm blood hit the Guardian's face, but he reveled in it.

Next up was using the tree trunk to launch himself into the midst of the four humans, but upon jumping towards the trunk, the entire tree was set aflame in a second. Chao had to shift his weight mid-jump and crashed into the trunk of another tree behind the one he had aimed for. He crashed with his back first into it and then hit the ground. He got up on his feet as fast as he could. The pain in his back gave way to a murderous glare while he scanned the camp that had turned into a burning battlefield between what few Awoo Guardians there were and the armed Humans.

Chao caught sight of the source of the Red Flower fairly quickly: The men and women wearing boiled, black leather suits. Their arms were engulfed in the Red Flower and they easily threw big projectiles of it all around themselves, setting everything aflame. They could even punch things with their fiery fists. They were also now wearing their masks instead of having them strapped to their shoulders. They looked like mocking versions of an Awoo's face, and behind the masks Chao saw the Human's crimson eyes glowing brightly.

No humans are supposed to have those eyes!

He frantically searched the field for his Captain and spotted him fighting off three masked humans and their Red Flower at the same time. The urge to leap to his defense overcame Chao, but he heard a woman's scream from the edges of the camp, away from the Captain. It was Hin, the only female Awoo in this Kenshin group of Blood Guardians. She was disarmed and pinned to a tree, surrounded by the Red Flower and the men who wielded it. In the far distance Chao also heard the cries of pain and the call for mercy from another one of his companions, screaming for the sweet release of death. He wouldn't stop screaming for help. Chao couldn't find the last Guardian in his company anywhere from where he stood. His Guardian Blade did its job as well as it could, but Chao was nearly paralyzed with a choice to make!

The Captain still had his Guardian Blade, the screaming companion was probably fatally wounded and Chao doubted he'd find the proper means to heal him in this battlefield, and Hin was pinned against enemies without a Blade. The obvious choice was often the right one and in this case, that's all Chao was concerned with. Forsaking one of his companions and relying on his Captain's skills, the young Blood Guardian took off in a sprint across the burning encampment, heading straight for the scene with Hin and the three Humans with their Red Flower.

Upon reaching them, he leaped into the fray with his Blade in hand!

____

Who shall you follow next?>Follow Lin/Raubtier as she and her fresh companions of Blood Guardians meet Rushi by the Northern Light Tree in the morning after the ceremony.>Follow Hao Sing as he and the Grim Knight attends a strange meeting with the delegations sent from the Lord-Commander.

>>274233>Follow Lin/Raubtier as she and her fresh companions of Blood Guardians meet Rushi by the Northern Light Tree in the morning after the ceremony.Does this choice impact what happens in the future, or do we get ti interact with Hao later on?

>>274320>Does this choice impact what happens in the future, or do we get ti interact with Hao later on?You're just choosing whether you want to play out Lin's part first or Hao's part first. The former's part is of course longer. Main Character privileges and all that.

>>274233>Follow Lin/Raubtier as she and her fresh companions of Blood Guardians meet Rushi by the Northern Light Tree in the morning after the ceremony.

By first light, You had already packed a small bag of essential items that you gathered over the course of 3 years. Everything you used to own was left behind in the wake of the first barrier's fall. Now you're going to leave behind a substantial amount of things again, but at least this time around it would be out of free will. There's a lot of things you couldn't bring with you, both practical items and memorials alike, but you felt like you were mature enough to make this decision once more. Maybe you'd come back here someday. Maybe you wouldn't. It was best to not think too much like that.

With a small bag hung over your shoulder, you threw one last glance back at the small tree you've lived in for the past 3 years. You almost felt like reminiscing about all the things that happened to you while you lived there with Ming and some other girls, but you didn't want to waste any more time. When you awoke this morning, you couldn't find Ming anywhere, even after the two of you had promised each other to say good bye before you left the village. Maybe she didn't want to say good bye after all? Maybe she wanted to cling onto the hope that you'd return one day? You weren't planning to run straight into your death, but the stakes were high and the risks even higher still. For now, the two of you would settle on sending ravens to each other when you could, updating each other of things happening to you both. It wasn't much, but it was better than complete silence until you met again.

I refuse to say 'if'.

The walk over to the Northern Light Tree was a long one, but you traversed it in a short time. You were more than eager to not only get started, but also nervous to see the others reaction to your new look. Especially Heim. You wondered if he would even recognize you unless he saw your eyes and your tattoos.

In the distance you spotted where everyone had gathered with their light or non-existent packing. Rushi had yet to arrive to the scene. The Tree lived up to its name all right: It was a huge one, towering above the others of its kind, but it was not even close to rivaling the World Tree. It had holes in it from the roots up to its branches. Holes filled with firefly nests that glowed throughout both day and night. In the morning, the light glistened against the still rising sun.

"Are you also here for the Ichigo Company?" You heard a familiar voice behind you that you recognized immediately to belong to Heim, "Didn't see you last night, but most of us left right after we got dismissed. My name's Heim. What's yours?"

>Reveal yourself to him. You wanted to see his reaction sooner rather than later.>Play along and pretend to be someone else without facing him. Hopefully he won't recognize your voice. >Write-in.

>>274658>Reveal yourself to him. You wanted to see his reaction sooner rather than later.

"Hi, Heim. The name's Lin." You announce yourself to him after turning about to face him. He looked at you with a puzzled face for a couple of seconds before it dawned on him when he noticed your eyes and the still present tattoos on your cheekbones. His mouth hung agape and while he tried to find the right words to utter, the others from last night had already approached the two of you, curious of what had made Heim so speechless. Jin was about to ask Heim something, but he was silenced by a push from his twin brother who had his eyes on you.

"Is that, um, is that you, Lin?" You gave a nod to his question which received a chuckle from the Bitch you still didn't know the name of. It didn't sound like a condescending laugh, but maybe a half surprised one, "H-how did you...?" He drifted off with his question, the rest of the sentence were all too obvious to anyone who didn't have the mind of a child. You had already figured out an excuse before coming here, but you couldn't exactly call it a decent one.

"I don't know." You replied nonchalantly. The others each gave you a look dripping with skepticism. Heim looked as if he wanted to say something the most, but he remained just as speechless as before.

However, no one got the time to call you out on your bullshit when Rushi joined the Company of fresh Blood Guardians. He threw one glance at you, grunted, and moved on. He didn't care what you looked like as long as you were a Guardian and another blade at his disposal. A role you were more than willing to fulfill.

You, Heim, the Twins, the Bitch, and the other 15 greenhorn Blood Guardians found yourself standing at attention in front of Rushi within the minute. He explained that inside the Light Tree there were clothes and light armored set pieces that held a deep crimson color. When he called a pair's name, they got 10 minutes to get in, pick their set pieces, equip them and then get out and back in formation again. This was done to keep it neat and orderly. Name by name came up that you would frankly not remember all too well, but once it reached you, there came a name you knew you wouldn't forget.

"Raubtier and Mei." Rushi proclaimed and took a step back, allowing the two girls to enter the entrance of the Light Tree. You and the Awoo girl formerly known as 'the Bitch' made your way inside. Picking out the standard set pieces that were in your size turned out to be easy and while getting them on were a little bit more tricky, it was a learning process with a low curve. However, you couldn't help but notice that there were items lying about that wasn't part of the standard set pieces and you wondered if it would be okay to grab one of them as well? Could be worth the effort to not only have a protective armor, but also look badass, right?

>Pick nothing else apart from the standard armored outfit.>Pick a mouth-garde. A piece of reinforced leather that protected ones mouth while still allowing the wearer to speak and breathe effortlessly. >Pick a cloth piece that was attachable to the armor. You figured a cloak would make you look stupid, but something white may or may not fit in perfectly with the crimson color, yes?>Write-in.

>>274981>>Pick a mouth-garde. A piece of reinforced leather that protected ones mouth while still allowing the wearer to speak and breathe effortlessly.got to make use look even more badass and demon likeif people are calling us a wild animal that needs to be put down then we better dress like one and fight like one in battle

>>274981>Pick a mouth-garde. A piece of reinforced leather that protected ones mouth while still allowing the wearer to speak and breathe effortlessly.

The mouth-garde made out of a foreign leather to the touch caught your eye. While Mei was wrapping a red piece of clothing around the lower part of her face and head, you picked the mouth-garde. It felt weird to attach it and use the small black shoelaces at the back to tighten it and set it in place properly. You could still breathe perfectly well with it on and it didn't feel too awkward or uncomfortable. It was something you would have to grow used to.

"Not the most cutest accessory, but it works." Mei commented on your mouth-garde on your way out. You gave her a silent and approving look. As for a monster, You didn't look the part so much anymore, but intimidation could go a long way on Humans and Awoo alike. That, coupled with helping you against the smoke in the air in case you came face to face with the Red Flower, made this mouth-garde a good pick. Jun and Kun approved of it nonetheless while Heim was still recovering from the shock from before. If anything, he was just in too deep in thought to notice you.

____

The process came to an end almost 2 hours later, everyone stood equipped in crimson and various pieces of red, white, leather etc.

Rushi called everyone to gather around him and began to divide everyone into groups. This was to be expected. Groups of five were most efficient according to the Blood Guardians. There would be four groups from this selection of fresh Guardians. You found yourself placed in a group with Heim, Mei, Kun, and Jun, making it a five-Awoo team. However, it didn't stop there.

"Now I want you to decide among yourselves who the Captain and Vice-Captain will be. The former to lead and the latter if something goes horrible wrong." Rushi explained and despite not saying it out loud directly, everyone got the message. The groups gathered among themselves. Heim pulled you in with the others as you all formed a circle facing each other.

From what you've gathered so far, Mei was good with people when she tried even if took a toll to admit it on your part, but you were more worried what would happen if she didn't try and how well she'd handle the pressure during a fight? Kun was already used to taking point since he's been the de facto voice of the twins for years, but could he handle leading more than one person at a time? Heim had a natural charm to him which made him a prime candidate, but problems would surely arise if you all encountered Humans, which you will. He had more control than someone like Chao, but he was still out for blood on an unnatural level.

Jun didn't fit the part at all, and as for you? It could maybe work with these people? They already saw you more as 'Lin' than 'Raubtier', but problems might arise in the future while dealing with other Captains within the Ichigo Company.

>Nominate yourself as Captain. >Nominate someone else as Captain. (Who?)>Nominate yourself as Vice-Captain.>Wait for everyone to say their piece before making a decision.

>>276966>>Wait for everyone to say their piece before making a decision.we might not become cap and thats ok since i dont think other people will liek us beening in power(since how sorta hate/miss turst us_

>>276966>Wait for everyone to say their piece before making a decision.

Your own thoughts aside, it felt better to listen to what the others had to say before making an actual judgement call. If anything, they knew their own capabilities, limits, and what they wanted more than you.

"Alright. Captain and Vice-Captain." Heim spoke up first, reminding everyone why they were standing in a ring and what they were going to discuss. Everyone exchanged looks and while the general atmosphere called for quiet thinking and deliberation, Jin broke the fragile silence brought on by a heavy decision.

"I want to be Captain." He blurted out, looking more confident than ever. He even puffed out his chest at the notion of being the captain of this group. You couldn't tell if he sincerely thought he could do it or if he was just arrogant. Maybe both?

"What? Is this some kind of joke?" Kun immediately got worked up over his brother's announcement, "If anyone should be the leader, it should be me! I'm the older brother."

"By what? 15 minutes? Age doesn't really matter when our experience is the same!" Jin retorted, to which Kun just shook his head disappointingly while seeking aid from the others in the group with his eyes. He looked in your direction extra long, looking for support. You didn't know which side to take, if any really. You still wanted to be Captain yourself too, even if it meant trouble down the line with other Blood Guardian Captains. You could handle those idiots. Becoming a good leader would be a great step in the right direction in concern to your dreams, but it wasn't all together a must.

"Uh, can't you all just calm--" Mei started, but she was interrupted by Heim as he voiced his opinion:

"I nominate Jin for Captain." It felt like a dagger in your back, but you couldn't really blame him since you hadn't nominated yourself earlier for the spot. Although, why he didn't nominate himself left you wondering, but maybe he didn't want to be left in charge and feel responsible when or if we died beyond the barrier? "If he thinks he can do it, I will trust him. That's the key thing we will need in each other outside the safety of the Forest Realm: Trust."

You could agree with him on that point, but it was still far from utterly convincing you to trust Jin with your life. Would it be okay if you did?

"Twin brother.", Kun corrected himself with sigh, "I don't think he will be able to handle the responsibility of leadership when we're in the middle of a fight. I really don't. I've seen how you are under pressure, Jin. It's not a pretty sight."

"I can learn! That's what this is all about, isn't it? To learn, right?"

"No!" Kun shouted furiously, catching the attention of the other groups, but no one came over. Not even Rushi. "The time to learn has already fucking passed, Jin! Once we cross that barrier we will be one our own and it will be a matter of life and death!" Kun was working himself up over this issue something fierce while Jin fought back with his own heated arguments. In the middle of it all, Heim was throwing a glance your way while Mei was staring down into the grass, quiet as ever since she was interrupted. Your mind was torn on what to do.

>Nominate Jin for Captain. Heim is right.>Nominate yourself for Captain. You just know you will make a better Captain.>Nominate someone else (Who?)>Wait for Mei and Kun to make their nominations as well.

and

>Calm the twin brothers down. The group won't reach a proper decision like this any time soon.>Let them settle their own dust and sibling rivalry. This isn't your fight.

>>277575>Calm the twin brothers down. The group won't reach a proper decision like this any time soon.

>Nominate yourself for Captain. You just know you will make a better Captain."If neither of you can trust the other to lead, then neither of you will be able to follow the other when the situation is most needed. You both know yourselves best - unless you can both agree, neither of you can be Captain. If it comes down to it, I will nominate myself if need be."

>>277575>Nominate yourself for Captain. You just know you will make a better Captain.>Calm the twin brothers down. The group won't reach a proper decision like this any time soon.

This was getting out of hand. Soon enough fists would be flying and Rushi would really come over and split the group up. You made the choice to intervene.

"Can you two shut up!?" with a raised voice, you forced yourself between them.

"Don't get involved, Raubtier." Kun spat out angrily, but realized immediately what he had said from the look you gave him. He was panicking, not sure what he should say. He wanted to apologize, but your hard glare told him this wasn't the time. He quietly stepped back into the ring, shamefully looking away. Honestly, you were pissed at him, but he took his own outburst harder than you did yourself. However, this wasn't the time to muse over Kun's sense of right and wrong. With the 'older brother' out of the way, you turned to Jin.

"I'm sure we all have doubts about each others qualifications to lead, especially when it trickles down to life or death out there, Jin." Mei looked up and everyone's focus was on you, "If you can't stand 'being below' your brother and Kun refuses to let you take this lightly--"

"My nomination isn't lightly." Jin continued fruitlessly, looking for a way to press the issue in vain.

"You're right. It's not, and I'm serious." Later down the road, you would remember someone telling you that your eyes burned brightly at this very moment, "Because if you cannot follow Kun anymore and Kun cannot follow you, Jin, then I nominate myself for Captain. I've faced Humans and the Red Flower before. I don't have the same hatred for them as Heim, even if that's too valuable to be considered a flaw, so I can keep my head straight in a fight. If that's not good enough for you, then I nominate you as our Vice-Captain, Jin. If I fail in my duty, then I will trust you to lead everyone to safety."

Your speech brought on an uneasy silence from the implications of that last part, but they all got the message loud and clear.

"I nominate Lin for Captain and Jin for Vice-Captain." Mei spoke up for the first time since the start of this discussion. Kun threw a glance over at her and then joined in as well: "Fine. I also nominate Lin for Captain and Jin for Vice-Captain." - You didn't bother to find out whether or not he actually did it because he believed in you, if he was just doing it to make up for his blunder, or if he did it to keep his brother from the Captain spot. You looked over at Heim and he nodded in approval and then you locked eyes with Jin. He seemed conflicted, but it didn't take long for him to reach a decision.

"Since you can trust me, I'll trust you too, Lin. I nominate you for Captain and myself for Vice-Captain." He sighed and gave way to a smile, a sight for sore eyes after his fierce fight with his brother. While the twins hugged it out bro-style, Heim's hand landed on your shoulder.

"See? Told you this would be easy." With a smirk, he left to instruct Rushi on our collective decision.

"That turned out better than I first imagined it would." Mei added, punching the same shoulder Heim had patted you on. "Don't let us down, Captain."

>"I won't. I can't." [Confidence]>"With everyone's help, we'll make it work." [Humility]>"Fall in line, Mei. You only need to be concerned about following orders." [Domination]>Write-in.

Mei found a small smile in the face of your bright confidence. She left to talk with the twin brothers who had made up after their fight while Heim was off reporting back to Rushi. Your gaze left them and turned towards the edge of the barrier off in the distance. For 3 years you've waited and trained for what was going to happen in the next few days. The excitement sent electricity through your fingers and even if the possibility of an early death and losing all your new friends loomed in front of you, butterflies still found their way into your stomach. You were determined to not lose against the Humans again. You felt ready.

Look out, Chao! I'm not far behind!

____

Hao Sing marched straight to the middle of the still burning encampment, pushing his way past both shocked soldiers, knights, and those new masked men sent by the Lord-Commander. They were more of a nuisance than anything else, but at least Hao knew how to hide his annoyance of them. A character trait his Knight-Commander evidently didn't possess. Upon reaching the center of the camp, he spotted the Grim Knight where he stood, towering above the white-haired man dressed in a black, boiled leather suit and a mask attached to his shoulder. The former wore his full armor and looked more akin to a demon than a Human while the latter had a smirk painted across his face. Hao wanted his commander to smash that smirk away, but then both he and the Grim Knight would get in trouble with the Lord-Commander.

Also, something told him that these men and women who wore masks wouldn't mind attacking the hulking black knight if he killed their captain.

"I really don't see the problem, Grim Knight." The white-haired man's voice reached Hao's ears at long last upon the approach, "You only lost around 21 soldiers or so, and we got yourselves three of those filthy--" The man's eyes darkened to the point of almost turning crimson as his voice drifted off, but he restrained himself in the face of the Knight-Commander. "Point is, the trade came out in our favor."

"How does 25 human lives compare to the death of three enemies, Captain?" Hao Sing intervened before the Grim Knight uttered something everyone would regret.

"Human lives?" The man snorted and gave his men a look that said 'his this guy serious?'

"They died within seconds. Doesn't sound very 'Human' to me. Lieutenant." He added Hao's rank at the end as a mockery more than a sign of respect, pointing out the fact that even if he outranked the Captain, the man was stronger and more skilled than Hao could ever hope to become.

>Continue to scold him.>Ignore him and address the Knight-Commander with what you came for.>Write-in.

A hot, white fury filled the Knight-Lieutenant to his very core. The matter Hao had with his Knight-Commander could damn well wait. Just next to the Captain, Hao spotted the Grim Knight's clenched fist. He was mostly just holding back on accord to how you had advised him given what could happen if the large man were to go full out on the white-haired Captain.

"Sire, do you remember what you asked me when I first found myself at your service?" The memory made the Grim Knight jerk his head upwards, staring straight at his loyal subordinate. He nodded slowly, probably already realizing where this was heading. If Hao knew his commander from working under him over the past weeks, he was certain the man was now smiling behind his thick helmet.

"Tell me, Knight-Commander; what would you have done right now, had our roles been reversed?" Hao asked and the Captain turned his head about to look at the Commander, but he found his head covered in a black armored gauntlet. With a thrust forward with his entire body, the Grim Knight both literally and figuratively smashed the Captain into the ground. From behind, Hao could already hear the others rushing over and the distinct smell of fire mixed in with the ash and the smell of burned flesh this encampment was reeking of. They stopped only at the sight of their Captain's flat hand held into the air where he lay. The Knight-Commander released his grip of the man and took a step back. Hao locked eyes with the Captain who was still struggling to get up.

He can endure a lot, I'll give him that.

"You tasted the dirt within a second, Captain. You don't look very 'Human' right now from where I'm standing. Get yourself together, you look like a mess."

He kept his expressionless face intact, but the fact that his shit-eating grin was gone was enough to satisfy Hao.

With that dealt with, the Knight-Lieutenant turned to his superior. He was finally ready to do what he came to do.

>Tell the Commander that two scouts have possibly found the lair belonging to the giant beast that has been ravaging all the Human Legions in the North unchecked for the past month. >Inform the Commander about sightings of more possible Guardian groups leaving the barrier up here in the North.>Remind the Commander that the Lord-Commander were still requesting reinforcement from the Northern front to the Western front.

>>278599>Tell the Commander that two scouts have possibly found the lair belonging to the giant beast that has been ravaging all the Human Legions in the North unchecked for the past month.

While the Captain struggled through the process of getting up on two feet again after being smashed into the ground, Hao briefed the Knight-Commander on his men's report.

"In your absence, two scout's returned from their run through the forest in the south-western region of the North. They told me of a giant cave in the side of the mountain range that make up a good portion of the North and the East. They must have missed it before because we've been forced to send them out during the night given the increased activity of Guardians in this region."

"Did they see the beast?" The Knight-Commander inquired as he made his way towards the edge of the camp with his Knight-Lieutenant in tow.

"No, but they heard a loud rumble from within and a deep breathing."

"So they don't know if it's truly the beast?"

"No, Sire. What would you have me do?" The pair stopped by the horses, and the Grim Knight turned to Hao slowly. He seemed in deep thought, and for good reasons. He had to consider his options well. He could send in more daring scouts to confirm, but that could backfire if they died. He could throw caution to the wind and ride there himself and enter the cavern with his men stationed outside, but he didn't want to risk wasting his Legion's time if the scout's turned out to be wrong. He could also send Hao with a couple of men, but if he lost his Knight-Lieutenant that had proved to be an enormous assist, it would irk him to no end and the campaign here in the North would slow down immensely. His eyes fell upon the Captain who had finally risen to his feet once more. He could send him and his fire-wielding men, but if it turned out to be the beast and the Captain slew it, he could easily tarnish the Grim Knight's standing as both a knight and a commander by claiming the man couldn't do it himself. On the bright side, the Captain could turn up dead, but with actual Fire on his side at all times as a weapon, he doubted that was a possibility.

>Send more daring scouts.>Go there himself with some men.>Send Hao with some men.>Send the Captain and his company of men.>Write-in.

Where the Grim Knight had brawn, Hao Sing had the wit. He had proved his wit and intelligence to his Commander on several occasions now, but he had yet to prove his strength to the man. It was time to test his true mettle, despite the risks and possible consequences. The Knight-Commander needed both smart and strong men around him to be successful in his campaign in the North. Hao had proven to be the former, now he had to show he could be the latter.

"I will have you prove your mettle, Knight-Lieutenant. I'm sending you with a batch of soldiers in numbers of your own choosing to deal with the beast, should it live in the cave." The Knight-Commander gave his instructions and mounted his horse. "Do not fail me, Hao Sing." Was the last thing he said before he rode off with an escort back to the current main encampment, leaving Hao Sing to ponder on his new orders. His thoughts were not with the issue on whether he would succeed or not. He was already in the midst of calculating how many troops he needed, how many would be just enough to not make him look like a coward, and remembering all the details of said reports about the beast roaming the North. He had to find its weakness if he wanted to be absolutely ready for a bout with it.

The thought of ordering some of the Captain's men to follow suit, but there were far too many cons compared to the pros when dealing with an unpredictable man like the Captain. For now, Hao held that idea in the back of his head and considered other options. After finishing his remaining duties at the destroyed camp, he mounted his horse and begun his trip back to the main encampment upon the forest road. The remaining soldiers along with the Captain's men rode with him.

The Captain himself rode next to the Knight-Lieutenant. Hao couldn't ride ahead because he was also responsible for the men traveling without a horse to boot and the Captain wasn't in a hurry to catch up with the Knight-Commander. Silence ruled them. They were both pissed at each other.

Why can't this day end sooner?

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And that's the end of the session and the Thread for that matter! New thread tomorrow (Monday) or on Tuesday! More info on my Twitter. I'll be going now, but I'll check back here in a few hours to see if you've dropped any questions or feedback/input.